No Longer Set (Page 12)

How to Open a File with its Default Application in VBA

One of the handiest functions I use in my Access applications is this gem from Dev Ashish: fHandleFile(). Here's how to make it compatible with 64-bit VBA.

Form Design

Viewer Question: Sort a Continuous Form by Clicking on the Column Label of a Combo Box

My NewSort() function lets you easily add support for giving users a way to sort your continuous forms. But how do we sort by combo boxes' displayed text?

Archive

Archive Collection: Date Functions

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: Date Functions.

Archive

Archive Collection: Debugging

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: Debugging.

Archive

Archive Collection: Design Functions

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: Design Functions.

Archive

Archive Collection: DevCon 2023

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: DevCon 2023.

Archive

Archive Collection: Window Functions

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: Window Functions.

Archive

Archive Collection: Combo Boxes

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: Combo Boxes.

Archive

Archive Collection: String Functions

I'm on vacation (shh...don't tell anyone)! I'll be back soon, but until then enjoy today's curated collection of articles from the archive. Today's topic: String Functions.

Form Design

Tab Controls with Hidden Tabs

This little-known and underused feature opens up some interesting design possibilities for creative Access developers.

SQL

HOW TO: Make Backward-Compatible Changes to SQL SELECT Queries

The `AS` keyword in SQL allows you to replace table fields with calculated columns while retaining the original name.

Hidden Features

Concatenating Strings in VBA: Plus (+) vs. Ampersand (&)

Both the ampersand and the plus sign operators can be used to join strings in VBA. Clever developers can use this to their advantage.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: December 31, 2023

A quiet week of development with a fascinating conversation on Wayne's decision to write a custom compiler rather than transpile twinBASIC into C/C++.

Week in Review

Week in Review: December 30, 2023

Highlights include a 4-part Oasis SVN walkthrough, 3 new Edge browser control videos, VBA class basics, and a deep dive into Access's Filter By Form feature.

Database Design

Common Uses for One-to-One Database Relationships

One-to-one relationships are the red-headed step-children of the relational database world. Here are 25 reasons it doesn't have to be that way.

Form Design

How to Filter Reports in Microsoft Access

Here are 5 ways to filter reports in Microsoft Access, along with a closer look at my personal favorite approach.

UX

18 Tips to Build a Great Report Filtering User Experience in Microsoft Access

A great report filtering UX should be intuitive, consistent, simple, powerful, efficient, and beautiful. Here are 18 tips to help you do just that.

Edge Browser Control

How to Access the .Document Property to Parse Web Pages Using the New Edge Browser Control

The loss of the .Object property in the new Edge browser control is a big blow to web automation in VBA, but a workaround from Daniel Pineault helps fill the gap.

Holiday

Merry Christmas

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son..."

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: December 24, 2023

Highlights include an updated twinBASIC roadmap, a sneak peek at upcoming IDE menu and docking improvements, and RadioMan - a new tB project from fafalone.

Week in Review

Week in Review: December 23, 2023

Highlights include an MZ-Tools tour from developer Carlos Quintero, an Edge browser control video series, and multi-select filtering of a continuous form.

Code Library

How to Set the Background Color of the Microsoft Access Application Window with VBA

A series of Windows API calls will "repaint" the Microsoft Access canvas with the color of your choice. It is a bit rough around the edges, though...

Announcement

Dropping `#If VBA7 Then` From API Declares

Plus, step-by-step instructions for restoring the `#If VBA7 Then` code construct if you still need to support Office 2007 or earlier.

Debugging

FIXED: "You entered an expression that has no value."

"You entered an expression that has no value," is a common Microsoft Access error message. Luckily, while the fix is not obvious, it is easy.

Tools

Poe: My Tool of Choice for Exploring the World of LLMs

With so many new and exciting LLMs and AI image generators, how do you pick just one? What if you didn't have to?